Playback 2003: Yokozuna Asashoryu, in a Great Mood After Winning Champion Amidst Long Absence

Another reason for his good mood was the presence of Mrs. Tamiru (then 22) and her eldest daughter Itinhorro (then 5 months old), who were watching over Asashoryu at the venue that day. When Asashoryu spotted Mrs. Tamiru and her daughter, he crumpled his face and approached them, kissing them on the cheek. He was deeply moved, as he had said, “I definitely wanted to win the tournament for them.” When Asashoryu’s wife became concerned because of the baby’s fussy behavior and went outside, Asashoryu also went outside and helped her daughter.

 

Afterwards, Asashoryu was open to taking pictures, signing autographs, and saying “I will do my best next time,” but he would go on to spend his entire career in the ring as a ‘villain’ yokozuna.

In 2007, he missed the summer tournaments due to injury, but he made headlines when he played soccer in Mongolia and cheerfully scored an overhead shot. In 2010, he won the first sumo tournament, but was forced to retire due to an assault incident that occurred during the tournament. At his retirement press conference, he said the following words.

 

“Everyone talks about dignity, but my honest feeling is that once I step into the ring, I feel like a demon, and I feel like I have to do my best in the ring. I’m the kind of person I’ve never been before, so I think I’ve put everyone in a lot of trouble.”

He still ranks fourth all-time in makunouchi wins. There is no doubt that he was a strong yokozuna.